''Cobbler'' The Clan of Cobblers persay is not a true Clan of and by itself. It is a field which falls under the Clan of Leather Workers. For roleplay purposes and to be able to have a specific trade in which i could work as well as be able to tend to my duties as a Ubar this seems the route to take. If you have not guessed by now, Cobblering is the craft of boot, shoe, and sandal making. This was/is not a difficult trade for this age but one of skill nonetheless. There existed no real numerous fashions of footwear on Gor in comparison to what we have on earth by today's standards. It really did simply boil down to boots, shoes, and sandals. Simple in design, likely to me crafted according to what one wished to pay, and the standard materials would be easilly obtained in a Wagon Camp. It is said the Tuchuks had no manufacturing as we know it. however, this is more of a hand-crafted trade than one might view a manufactured product. Each pair hand cut, assembled, stitched, to meet the needs or the purchaser. The Wagon Peoples grow no food, nor do they have manufacturing as we know it. They are herders and it is said, killers. They eat nothing that has touched the dirt. They live on the meat and milk of the bosk. They are among the proudest of the peoples of Gor, regarding the dwellers of the cities of Gor as vermin in holes, cowards who must fly behind walls, wretches who fear to live beneath the broad sky, who dare not dispute with them the open, windswept plains of their world. Nomads 4 This is without a doubt a trade whose product can be high in demand. Stop for a moment and consider the number of people in a wagon camp. The wagons are said to be countless. Thousands and thousands of Warriors, Women, Children, and even slaves during could weather are in need of boots. At various other times of the year sandals are likely to be found a well as other footwear. The wagons are said to be countless, the animals without number. Both of these claims are, of course, mistaken, and the Ubars of the Wagon Peoples know well each wagon and the number of branded beasts in the various herds; each herd is, incidentally, composed of several smaller herds, each watched over by its own riders. Nomads 21 Those who are unfamiliar with the Wagon Peoples, or who know them only from the swift raid, sometimes think them devoid of organization, sometimes conceive of them as mad hordes or aggregates of wild warriors, but such is not the case. Each man knows his position in his Ten, and the position of his Ten in the Hundred, and of the Hundred in the Thousand. Nomads 175 And I looked and saw suddenly and my heart stopped beating and then I uttered a wild cry for from the left, riding with the Thousands sweeping over the hills, I saw the standard of the Yellow Bow, and on the right, flying forward with the hurtling Thousands, its leather streaming behind its pole, I saw the standard of the Three-Weighted Bola. "Kataii!" screamed Harold, hugging me. "Kassars!" Nomads 264 Many of my tools, especially my punches, or awls come from the bosk. Also the raw materials from the bosk go far in keeping me well furnished with materials. Leather, horn and bone tools, glues, stitching, and othe various items essential to the trade. Not only does the flesh of the bosk and the milk of its cows furnish the Wagon Peoples with food and drink, but its hides cover the domelike wagons in which they dwell; its tanned and sewn skins cover their bodies; the leather of its hump is used for their shields; its sinews forms their thread; its bones and horns are split and tooled into implements of a hundred sorts, from awls, punches and spoons to drinking flagons and weapon tips; its hoofs are used for glues; its oils are used to grease their bodies against the cold. Even the dung of the bosk finds its uses on the treeless prairies, being dried and used for fuel. Nomads 5 So, now, what types of footwear might exist? Kutaituchik lifted his head and regarded us; his eyes seemed sleepy; he was bald, save for a black knot of hair that emerged from the back of his shaven skull; he was a broadbacked man, with small legs; his eyes bore the epicanthic fold; his skin was a tinged, yellowish brown; though he was stripped to the waist, there was about his shoulders a rich, ornamented robe of the red bosk, bordered with jewels; about his neck, on a chain decorated with sleen teeth, there hung a golden medallion, bearing the sign of the four bosk horns; he wore furred boots, wide leather trousers, and a red sash, in which was thrust a quiva. Beside him, coiled, perhaps as a symbol of power, lay a bosk whip. Nomads 43 The Wintering was not unpleasant, although, even so far north, the days and nights were often quite chilly; the Wagon Peoples and their slaves as well, wore boskhide and furs during this time; both male and female, slave or free, wore furred boots and trousers, coats and the flopping, ear-flapped caps that tied under the chin; in this time there was often no way to mark the distinction between the free woman and the slave girl, save that the hair of the latter must needs be unbound; in some cases, of course, the Turian collar was visible, if worn on the outside of the coat, usually under the furred collar; the men, too, free and slave, were dressed similarly, save that the Kajiri, or he-slaves, wore shackles, usually with a run of about a foot of chain. Nomads 59 And then I saw the first of the outriders, moving toward me, swiftly yet not seeming to hurry. I saw the slender line of his light lance against the sky, strapped across his back. I could see he carried a small, round, leather shield, glossy, black, lacquered; he wore a conical, fur-rimmed iron helmet, a net of colored chains depending from the helmet protecting his face, leaving only holes for the eyes. He wore a quilted jacket and under this a leather jerkin; the jacket was trimmed with fur and had a fur collar; his boots were made of hide and also trimmed with fur; he had a wide, five-buckled belt. I could not see his face because of the net of chain that hung before it. I also noted, about his throat, now lowered, there was a soft leather wind scarf which might, when the helmet veil was lifted be drawn over the mouth and nose, against the wind and dust of his ride. Nomads 10 "The Lady Aphris of Turia." I and all others turned our eyes to a wide, swirling marble stairway in the back and to the left of the lofty banquet hall in the house of Saphrar the merchant. Down the stairway, slowly, in trailing white silk bordered with gold, the colors of the Merchants, there regally descended the girl who was Aphris of Turia. Her sandals were of gold and she wore matching gloves of gold. Nomads 91 Hmmm... interesting. Sandals indeed. but on a Tuchuk? This was Aphris of Turia. So a Tuchuk would wear boots but no sandals you say? At the edge of the dais Kamchak and I had stopped, where our sandals were removed and our feet washed by Turian slaves, men in the Kes, who might once have been officers of the city. Nomads 42 Alright, so they were not Tuchuk Sandals. But they were on the feet of a Tuchuk. This does at the very least lend weight to the theory they did exist in the area. They could and likely were taken also from Caravans. One might also surmise that during the heat of summer these may well have been a valued item when such times allowed for relaxation or a need was pesent for comfort and versitility, as well as even saving boots from certain elements when possible such as rivers or creeks. So I will use my knowledge to create sandals also in order to supply a demand among the Tuchuks, or, at the very least to trade to Merchants bearing the brand seeking to make a profit if possible at the expense of Turians who produce sandals. Turians are fond of their lizard cavalry. Their mount? The Tharlarian. High boots were designed and crafted to protect the lizard riders from the hide of their mount. In addition, the mounted warriors inevitably wear a high, soft pair of boots called tharlarion boots. These protect their legs from the abrasive hides of their mounts. When a tharlarion runs, its hide could tear the unprotected flesh from a man's bones. Tarnsman 125 On long lines of tharlarion I could see warriors of Turia approaching in procession the Plains of a Thousand Stakes. Nomads 113 Now this is a pair of boots designed for the lizard riders. I have no doubt in my mind a Tuchuk would not aquire a pair at least from a dead City dweller or from a caravan. Would they be made in a wagon Camp? It is not likely. However, if such were present I am quite certain one who makes boots would take a close look at such boots and have knowledge of them, if even only to be skilled enough to repair then if a pair were brought to him. What else might a Born Torvaldsland cobbler make for his people? Her hair was hung in a snood of scarlet yarn, bound with filaments of golden wire. She wore, over her shoulder, a cape of white fur of the northern sea sleen. She had a scarlet vest, embroidered in gold, worn over a long-sleeved blouse of white wool, from distant Ar. She wore, too, a long woolen skirt, dyed red, which was belted with black, with a buckle of gold, wrought in Cos. She wore shoes of black, polished leather, which folded about her ankles, laced twice, once across the instep, once about the ankle. Marauders 25 Too, they had made the high fur boots of the northern woman and the brief panties of fur, to which the boots, extending to the crotch, reach. Beasts 175 Other examples of footwear just to round out such a section though it would be unlikely I crafted such unless it was in fact a special order and I was paid quite well for my services. She wore a full, beige skirt, the hem of which fell to within some six inches of the ground, and slim, high, black-leather boots, a beige blouse, and a beige jacket, belted, which fell to her thighs; too, she wore a loose hood, attached to the jacket by hooks, of matching beige material, and an opaque veil, also of beige material. Such garments, far less formal than the common attire of the Gorean free woman, are sometimes worn by rich women in the supervision and inspection of certain sorts of holdings, such as orchards, fields, ranches and vineyards. They constitute, for such women, so to speak, a habit for work. Fighting Slave 232 The haik, black, covers the woman from head to toe. At the eyes, there is a tiny bit of black lace, through which she may see. On her feet were soft, black, nonheeled slippers, with curled toes; they were decorated with a line of silver thread. Tribesmen 44 Tools of the Trade Awls For my use in punching of pilot holes for thicker stiched leather or layers of leather. Most of mine are crafted from the horn of our bosk, though i do have several of various metals. These ranges in various sizes. Which i choose to use depends solely upon the need at the time. Scratch Awl Straight tapered and round, this is a general purpose tool used for marking out leather and at times for punching. Harness Awl A diamond shaped blade and handle used to make holes in leather prior to stitching. The diamond shaped slot allows the stitches to lay neatly and give a neat fine crafted look. They are available in various sizes and are selected so that the leather will grip the threads when the piece has been finished. Stabbing Awl A straight blade of round or oval stoch used mostly for punching. Punches Chisel Punches These punches and chisels are used for cutting the moulds of the leather creating the design which is usually backed with another piece of leather or material to create the inlaid design on footwear.These come with oval or pointed profiled cutting faces used with a mallet and cutting block to prevent damage to sharpened edges. Oval and Round Punches These punch holes for belts and straps, used with a mallet and cutting block to prevent the dulling of the cutting tip. Knives Shoe maker’s knife A flat blade with a wooden handle. For general-purpose use or edge trimming of hard leathers. Paring Knives These knifes are unique in that they reall have no attached grip. they are flat bladed of iron and hammered thin enough to lay flat against a seam. The cutting edge is angled across the metal at varied degrees of angle and beveled only on one side of the cutting edge for various angles of work and areas of access most commonly parallel to the workpiece. Round Knife The blade is semi-circular with a handle perpendicular to the back. Useful for long cuts as it has a long sharp edge that can be turned into play as the knife is pushed and leaves a very clean when rocked across a piece of work on the cutting board. Single Head Knife This knife has a quarter circle blade and is similar to a round knife but capable of smaller work and somewhat safer in use. Useful for sliding between folded leather to cut old stitching when making repairs to the piece. Clicking knife or Cutout knife This blade has a sharp point for cutting into corners and can be straight, beveled, or curved with a hollow edge. The hollow edge allows thin leathers to be cut without rippling or wadding up. The knife is usually used to cut leather around patterns. Race Used on the back or inside of leather to cut a groove that eases the bending of the piece when necessary to hold a shape. This may also be use as a grooving tool to cut a groove to flush stitching or hide it. Edge Tool This is used to chamfer the edges of finished work before rubbing and burnishing the piece. These come in all assorted sizes. Mallets These come in various sizes and have heads of various materials. Mine are of varied types of wood, bone, and horn. They are used on chisels and punches to avoid damage to the striking shanks. Hammers Harness hammer This hammer has a mushroom shaped head that is kept clean and polished for use in hammering wet leather into shape around hot irons. It will not damage the surface of the leather. It can also be used to flatten stitches. Saddler’s hammer This hammer has a long head with a flat end for general boot nails and a wedge shaped end for access to tight corners. Irons These are a set of shaped irons of varying sizes. They are used to shape and form dampened leather before or after it has been stitched using a harness hammer to give the leather the correct contour. Marble Stone This slab of stone is used under leather when paring it to prevent blunting of the paring knife and to give a flat working surface. Can also be used as a weight when gluing. Burnishers These smooth, shaped pieces of bosk bone are used to rub down the surfaces of the leathers to produce a shine and seal the grain and also remove creases or wrinkles. Bone Folder A flat polished bosk bone tool used to flatten stitches, turn edges and to make decorative lines and creases on dampened leather. Waxing Done to waterproof thread and help it to stay in place during stitching. It binds together any fibers of the thread that may be loose when dealing with thread in lieu of sinew or leather thong. Needles Crafted of bone, horn, and even metal. Their various sizes, shapes, and curves are put to use depending upon my preference or which is actually required for use on the piece. (property of MTC)